NASSCOM Gaming Forum today announced that Leena Kejriwal of studio, The MISSING Public Art and Awareness Campaign has secured $50,795 through a 30-day Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for her new project, MISSING: The...
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Dreamy yet disturbing, Cherrymochi’s Tokyo Dark keeps its crosshair leveled at a sweet spot between Japanese visual novel and point-and-click adventure. Backed by beautifully illustrated environments and an eclectic...
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Niche – a genetics survival game is a species sim with roguelike progression, played in turns on a hex grid. It includes enough novelty to charm fans still searching for the children of Creatures or Spore, but gambles...
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Allison Holmes

Allison has been playing video games since she was little and used to sneak onto her parent’s PC and play on their Diablo account. Since then, she’s gone through nearly every incarnation of Nintendo and PlayStation consoles, and especially loves puzzle, adventure, and horror games. Recently, she’s gained an appreciation for indie games and other challenges to the form.

Though the graphics are smooth and and the unique combat style makes for a fun, fast-paced heist title, the lack of variety dulls this otherwise vibrant game. Mr. Shifty exhibits plenty of potential, and those who enjoyed Devolver’s Hotline Miami and have a soft spot for comic books will love this half-combat, half-stealth based mission. But, there isn’t much beyond what’s on the tin, however, and Mr. Shifty risks monotony to many players.

Five Elements is an original, challenging, and solid real-time strategy game. Apart from those accolades, though, there’s not much else to wow the player. If you're a lover of strategy and puzzles for the sake of strategy and puzzles, you will most likely find it a worthy addition to your collection. If you aren't, then Five Elements may prove to be frustratingly challenging and lacking enough of a storyline to keep you going.

Manipulated creates a unique experience with a simple structure by implementing multiple different types of puzzles and challenges throughout the various levels. The art style is cartoonish and elementary, and the humor and voice-acting can be overdone, but it fits with the overall silly feel of the game. If you are looking for a whimsical side-scroller that will test your brain power, Manipulated is the game to buy. If slapstick comedy is not your cup of tea, the narration might come off as excessive, but the puzzles are sure to rope you back in.

Whether you are new to the series, or just looking for a creepy game to mess with your perception of reality, Bad Dream: Coma is not one to miss. The atmosphere is dark and gritty, and the player has the option of making it darker and grittier with their decisions. There are tons of challenging puzzles and secrets to unlock, and many different avenues for the narrative to take.

Kronos uses uninspired or recycled art style, storyline, and dialogue, but that's just that start of what's wrong with this title. Beyond the aesthetic issues, the bugs in Kronos are too much to ignore. Maybe with more work on bugs and glitches, Kronos could be playable enough to enjoy; for now, Kronos doesn’t come close to standing out in an already competitive genre.

Stars in Shadow is relatively simple and inviting for newcomers to the 4X strategy genre, but also features original mechanics to intrigue 4X veterans, and everything is brought together with a fun, cartoonish art style that complements the fantastical races and nature of this space exploration strategy game.

Semispheres runs very smoothly. The controls are simple and intuitive, the design is beautiful, and the music only adds to the overall meditative aesthetic. However, Semispheres is over just as it begins, providing only a fleeting, though pleasant, challenge to the player.

A title that appears to have been a labor of love, but also and unfortunately, that fails to be anything more than that. For fans of visual novels and dating simulations Angels with Scaly Wings might serve to impress you, but if these aren’t a draw, then pass. The art, animation, and music leave something to be desired, while the gameplay and story line are only interesting because of the odd concept that serves as a common denominator: dating dragons.

With so many strategy games to choose from, Realpolitiks ultimately fails to stand out. While its variety in features and missions is welcomed, it also forces errands few will enjoy; they make it difficult to stay in control, these arbitrary tasks impeding if not outright discarding a player's grand approach.

One of the best virtual introductions to a new language I have ever seen. Thanks to Learn Japanese To Survive!Katakana War, one could be well on their way to learning the Japanese language while immersing themselves in a genuinely fun game.